WesterwaldSteig 08th stage Bad Marienberg - Hachenburg (east-west)

Description

Even before your hike starts, there is much to discover in Bad Marienberg: The Basalt Park tells the story of the mining of the typical rock for the Westerwald in past times, the wildlife park and climbing forest invite you to recreational fun, and the Hedwig Tower allows you to enjoy a wonderful panoramic view. Now it draws you to the curiously appearing Wolfstones, which, according to legend, the devil had a hand in their formation millions of years ago. From afar, you can recognize Hachenburg's baroque palace. On the way to the "Pearl of the Westerwald," you enjoy the silence at the listed Jewish cemetery before relaxing in one of the cozy cafés on the old market with its impressive half-timbered backdrop.

Approach

From the south: via the B255 to the Bad Marienberg exit

From the north: via the B414 to the Bad Marienberg exit

Public transport

Getting there by public transport

Train to ICE station Montabaur, bus to the stop Bad Marienberg (Westerwald) Neuer Weg: bus line 463 (Monday-Friday);
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: from Montabaur station to Westerburg, Altes Katasteramt (bus line 460) and from there change to bus line 470.

Return to the stage start

Return trip from Hachenburg to Bad Marienberg: bus line 449 (daily)

Bus stop Hachenburg: Hachenburg Bf (From here a path about 300 m long leads to the main trail) or Hachenburg Markt (directly on the WesterwaldSteig)
Bus stop Bad Marienberg: Bad Marienberg Neuer Weg (approx. 150 m from the main trail)

Taxi recommendations:

Hehn-Touristik, Alpenrod, Tel. 02662/3366
Taxi Hilgers, Bad Marienberg, Tel. 02661/5055
Taxi Nagel, Bad Marienberg, Tel. 02661/5949
Taxi Schmidt GbR, Hachenburg, Tel. 02662/6119
Taxi Uwe Bischoff, Hachenburg, Tel. 02662/944444

Here are more hiking route tips with bus and train connections.

Parking

Bad Marienberg: Center (Bismarckstraße, Albrechtstraße, Im Bohnengarten, Tourist Information/Wilhelmstraße)

Hachenburg: Westerwald Landscape Museum (Leipziger Str. 1)

Directions

From the tourist information in the city center, the WesterwaldSteig leads through the disused basalt quarry, which contains a lot of information about basalt mining. From the Basalt Park, it goes to the year-round open Bad Marienberg wildlife park with falconry. At the wildlife park, the Hedwig Tower presents the famous "Westerwald view." On a clear day, you can see from here to the Siebengebirge to the west, the Eifel to the south, and the Feldberg to the east. The Westerwaldsteig then leads you to the Small and Large Wolfstein. Over natural paths and deciduous forest towards Stangenrod, you pass a private wildlife enclosure and an old basalt quarry. With a beautiful view to the Monsberg, the path leads over meadow paths past Stangenrod into the Wäschbachtal and to Unnau-Korb with railway connection. Through the Hachenburg city forest, you reach the Jewish cemetery via the "Philosopher's Path" with an impressive view of the Siebengebirge. In Hachenburg, the very worthwhile Landscape Museum awaits you. The core of the museum is the baroque hunting armory of the counts of Sayn-Hachenburg. An open-air museum shows a farmstead group with buildings that have been moved here from other places: school, miller's house, barn, bakehouse, oil mill, poor people's house, and village fountain with herb garden. You should definitely also see the baroque palace and the market square with the lion fountain, Gasthaus zur Krone, and beautiful half-timbered and bourgeois houses.

Access paths (marking: green W on yellow background):

• from the center of Bad Marienberg to the bus station (approx. 0.1 km)
• from the forest north of Unnau to the Unnau outdoor pool (approx. 1.0 km)
• from the outskirts of Unnau-Korb to the train station (approx. 0.6 km)

Safety instructions

If you believe certain sections of the path are not passable for you, then you should bypass them. Especially in adverse weather conditions, natural paths may have muddy and slippery patches.

In autumn, pay particular attention as fallen leaves on the ground can conceal unevenness, roots, stones, or holes in the path. You have to expect such path impairments when hiking.

Although the path is very well marked continuously, for safety reasons you should always carry a suitable hiking map or download the free app "Rheinland-Pfalz erleben" .

Equipment

Wear sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate, functional clothing that protects against cold and wet, or heat and sun.

Take sufficient fluids with you. There are not always places to eat along the way.

Please wear suitable hiking shoes that provide sufficient grip even on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven paths.

Tips

Enjoy coffee and cakes or snacks at the new café "Meine feine Heimat" in Bismarckstraße - also outdoors in nice weather.

Literature

Leporello hiking map WesterwaldSteig at scale 1:25,000

Order at www.westerwald-shop.info.

Destination

Hachenburg, Westerwald Landscape Museum

Starting Point

Bad Marienberg